Who's a fitness guru?

cunning-stunt

So,here's the deal.
I had a 2 1/2 year break from riding,put on about a stone in excess weight,smoked and drank heavily and generally lost any fitness I might once have held.
I am a stubborn sod and will go all out on a climb and refuse to give in,but then I usually reach the top and basically am one step away from cardiac arrest.

I ride (on the odd occasion I have company) with a mate who's a lot less fit than me,so don't really have the 'first to the top' thing going on,and for the most part I'm usually on my own.

I used to be a bit of a racing snake,but the old chuffers have killed my lungs off and the muscle has gone.

Now,I have the determination and stubborness to get fit again,and I also finish work on a Monday morning and don't go back until Friday night.
Bearing in mind I work 12 hour night shifts (Fri,Sat,Sun),and am usually completely knackered on a Monday,and unwilling to do anything strenuous on a Friday,what regime would you recommend?
I can go out after work on a Saturday or Sunday morning,although if it's a Saturday that usually means I've been up for 24 hours and worked a 12 hour night shift,but I still have the beans to do that.
i can go out on a Monday afternoon too after grabbing a few hours kip,but i'm usually so knackered that just about everything is too much effort..

Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursdays are spare days...I've caught up with my sleep and rearranged the sleep pattern by Tuesday.

So,what do you do to improve fitness levels if you work the same hours as me?

mozzle

CV wise you cant go wrong with interval training, sprinting from one point to another, ie 1 lamppost to the next, then have the same sort of distance as a breather then keep repeating for as long as you can. This is good for running aswell as cycling. Word of warning though it is bloody hard work and your likely to feel very sick if you push yourself :shock: Thinking about it... is it really worth it

cunning-stunt

mozzle wrote:

Thinking about it... is it really worth it

Thanks for replying,and yep it is worth it to me
I want to knock myself back into shape and shed a little weight.
I have the time and determination,but don't know whether to do maybe one long ride a week and one or two short ones,or two long ones with a day off in between,or whether I should go out on a weekend after work...and so on etc.

Any riding is better than none admittedly,and I'm not looking to attain super athlete status,but improving my fitness is what I want to do.

Also curious about diet,what should I avoid?
Takeaways aren't much of an issue for me,but crisps,white bread,gallons of pepsi max and lager and petrol station sandwiches are :oops:
I've already taken steps to increase my fruit and veg consumption,and intend to completely change my diet to complement my fitness quest.

Basically,I want to completely alter my life,but I have no real idea on how to do it
I had the advantage of youth before,but now I'm about to hit the big 30 things are a tad different

Help an old fat git

Johnpwr

From your description it sounds like you should just get started on riding regularly; build up an aerobic base with a long steady ride once a week (2-3 hours) and a a couple of shorter rides on the other days. You're not trying to work too hard and at this point, if you can't talk while you're riding, you are probably going too hard, except on the hills

Intervals and performance can come later, when/if you're that way inclined.; for the moment, just getting used to 3 hours in the saddle is going to take some work so enjoy the spring and look forward to the summer.

mozzle

cunning-stunt wrote:

I had the advantage of youth before,but now I'm about to hit the big 30 things are a tad different

Help an old fat git

Turned 30, 18 months ago and it still hasnt sunk in yet :shock:

miss notax

I turned 30 three years ago and I still refuse to accept it

Anyway - 30 is the new 20

cjw

sarah75 wrote:

I turned 30 three years ago and I still refuse to accept it

Anyway - 30 is the new 20

Turned 40 three years ago and still refuse to accept that I ever turned 30 :evil: 40 is the new 20

Matteeboy

Fitter aged 32 than I have ever been.

I think the key is allround fitness - strength, muscle stability, flexibility and a good cardio fitness level.

Do you just want bike fitness or to improve your overall health?
I find concentrating too much on one area can spoil others areas.

E.g. - do nothing but cycle and you end up with little upper body strength and flexibility.

TheBoyBilly

I read about a bloke the other week. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, he was wasting away indoors when suddenly it occured to him to get up and do something. It started with an innocent mission to walk to the nearest postbox. He only just made it to the front gate at first before having to go back indoors. But from that, he worked up, gradually, to succeeding in posting his letters and then on to 1,2, then 3-hour walks daily. His Doctors have since declared that his health is not now in such a decline and are astonished at his progress. It just goes to show what can be done.
So I would suggest a slow build-up to fitness, not setting silly targets and enjoying exercise whether it be riding, walking, swimming or whatever takes your fancy. "Enjoying" being the most important thing as if you see exercise as a chore you won't see it through.